Washington County Historical Society

Black & White Movie Night: Headin' Home
2022-03-08 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
It’s Black & White Movie Night! In honor of Major League Baseball’s Opening Day in March, we are showing silent film Headin’ Home (1920) starring none other than…Babe Ruth. Who knew he could act? (or not?!)
No pre-registration required. Masks encouraged.
Free popcorn provided by Woodbury 10 Theatre.
Summary of Headin’ Home via PublicDomainMovies.Info: “Heading Home (also called Headin’ Home) is a 1920 American silent sports film directed by Lawrence C. Windom. It attempts to create a mythology surrounding the life of baseball player Babe Ruth.
Ruth stars in the film, playing himself, but the details of his life are completely fictionalized. In the film, Ruth comes from a small country town and has a loving home life, but in real life, he grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and spent most of his childhood in a reformatory. In the film, shades of the baseball movie The Natural, Ruth cuts down a tree to make his own bat.
The screenplay was written by Arthur “Bugs” Baer from a story by Earle Browne. Directed by Lawrence C. Windom.
Cast:
Babe Ruth as Babe
Ruth Taylor as Mildred Tobin
William Sheer as Harry Knight
Margaret Seddon as Babe’s Mother
Frances Victory as Pigtails
James A. Marcus as Simon Tobin
Ralf Harolde as John Tobin”

Black & White Movie Night: "Within Our Gates"
2022-02-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Our second Black & White Movie Night! In honor of Black History Month, we are showing impactful silent film Within Our Gates (1919). Written, produced, and directed by Oscar Micheaux, this film is considered the earliest known surviving film by a black director. The film is considered a response to D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation in which the Ku Klux Klan is shown in a heroic light.
Summary of Within Our Gates via the Library of Congress: Abandoned by her fiancé, an educated negro woman with a shocking past dedicates herself to helping a near bankrupt school for impoverished negro youths. Within Our Gates was created in response to The Birth of a Nation which depicted southern whites in need of the Ku Klux Klan to protect them from blood thirsty blacks. Micheaux shows the reality of Dixie racism in 1920, where a black man could be lynched for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Retired university professor and film historian Steve Schroer will provide an educational introduction for Within Our Gates and will host an open discussion for interested participants after the film.
Free popcorn provided by Woodbury 10 Theatre.
Please be advised: this film depicts numerous racial epithets, unfair and inaccurate portrayals of black culture and a two brief scenes depicting lynching. We are mindful of these harmful themes and encourage the audience to view this film as a learning opportunity, not a promotion or acceptance of those practices and mindsets.

Presentation: Author Ryan Gale on "Shanty Boys: The Lumbermen of the Upper Midwest 1830-1940" and Minnesota north woods musician Brian Miller
2022-02-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Author Ryan Gale will be discussing everything from logs to legacies in a presentation on his brand-new book, Shanty Boys: The Lumbermen of the Upper Midwest 1830-1940. Additionally, musician Brian Miller of The Lost Forty will be performing Irish-influenced songs about Minnesota north woods history and folklore! No reservations needed. Masks are encouraged.
About Shanty Boys: The Lumbermen of the Upper Midwest 1830-1940:
“The lumbermen who cut and hauled the pine of the upper Midwest between 1830 and 1940 went by many names: lumberjacks, woodsmen, and shanty-boys because of the rough shanties they lived in. They endured severe cold, poor living conditions, and long isolation for little pay. Lumbermen were revered in their time as symbols of strength, ruggedness, and independence. “Shanty Boys: The Lumbermen of the Upper Midwest 1830-1940″ offers a glimpse into the fascinating lives of those hard-working men and shows how they continue to impact our society.” -Ryan Gale
About Brian Miller:

A native of the northern Minnesota town of Bemidji, Brian Miller has performed extensively throughout the US, Canada and Ireland with a variety of Irish music groups. With his duo The Lost Forty (and as a soloist) Brian revives and performs Irish-influenced songs of men who roamed the Great Lakes region in the days when pine was king. He is a winner of the Parsons Fund Award from the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for his research into this rich but under-explored music.

Presentation: Brent Peterson on Bud Fowler and the 1884 Stillwater Baseball Team
2022-02-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Click the link below to be taken to the Google Drives for both the video recording and the presentation slides.
The slides are difficult to see on the video recording. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please view the slides at the link below.

Presentation Slides:
Google Slides
EVENT INFO:
WCHS Executive Director Brent Peterson will be presenting on legendary baseball pitcher Bud Fowler and 1884 Stillwater Baseball team. No reservations needed. Masks are encouraged.
About Bud Fowler:
Bud Fowler (born John W. Jackson) is considered the first professional black baseball player and pitched his first game in Massachusetts in 1878. A star hitter as well, fans would applaud whenever he stepped up to the plate. He played in multiple teams across the United States, including a stint in Stillwater in 1884. Unfortunately, his professional career was short-lived, as the minor leagues secretly stopping hiring black players by 1887.
After his minor league career was forced to end due to rampant racism in the league, Fowler still found a way to play. He became a strong voice for an all-black major league and helped start four new black barnstorming teams: the Page Fence Giants, the Smokey City Giants, the All-American Black Tourists, and Kansas City Stars. He played professionally across fifteen communities during his career, including stints in Iowa, Kansas City, Ohio, and our own Stillwater, Minnesota. Following his career, Fowler moved back to New York and lived out his days as a barber, a profession he had learned from his father and practiced throughout his life as a way to make ends meet. He passed away in 1913 at the age of 54. In 2021, Bud Fowler was named as one of the newest inductees to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and will be inducted in 2022.

Annual Ice Cream Social
2022-01-29 12:00 - 16:00 | MN
It’s one of our favorite events of the year – the annual ice cream social! Come down to Lowell Park in Stillwater and enjoy free ice cream from Leo’s!

Black & White Movie Night: Buster Keaton films
2022-01-25 19:00 - 20:15 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
It’s our very first Black & White movie Night! Dress up in your best black-and-white outfit and come to the Heritage Center for a screening of three Buster Keaton short films: “One Week” (1920), “The High Sign” (1921), and “The Goat” (1921). No reservations needed. Masks are encouraged.

Retired university professor and film enthusiast Steven Schroer will provide an educational introduction prior to the screening and will host an open discussion for interested participants after the films.
Free popcorn provided by Woodbury 10 Theatre.

Film Screening: "An Ode to Stillwater: The John Runk Films"
2022-01-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Come out to the Heritage Center and see this rare footage for yourself! Truly, a “home movie of his home town,” innovator John Runk shot stunning 8mm films to document the growing community of Stillwater from the late 1940s to the early 1950s. Together with a rich soundtrack, original narration, and DVD extras, they show Stillwater and the St. Croix Valley as they were experienced by the “Greatest Generation.”
Among the many distinct historic scenes that Runk took were those of the Marine Ferry Crossing in operation; a Loggers’ baseball game against St. Paul Park; the Stillwater Country Club; Stillwater’s downtown business district just after the end of World War II; Pioneer and Lowell Parks; ice cutting on the St. Croix River and much more.

This event is free to the public and no reservations are required. DVDs of the documentary will be available for purchase following the program. Masks are encouraged.

Flashlight Tours - 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm
2021-10-31 20:00 - 23:00, 2021-10-29 19:00 - 23:00, 2021-10-28 19:00 - 23:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
It’s spooky season – the perfect time to grab a flashlight and take an after-dark tour of the Warden’s House! Watch your back – our ghosts may be out to play! Flashlights will be provided.
Tickets available online only at WCHS Store under the Membership & Tickets tab

Johnsdale Paranormal Group - 8pm
2021-10-30 20:00 - 21:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
So, is the Warden’s House *really* haunted? Come to this event to find out! Johnsdale Paranormal Group from Onamia, MN be giving two presentations on their closest, creepiest encounters with unexplained phenomena at the Warden’s House and around the country.

Tickets available online only at WCHS Store under the Membership & Tickets tab

Johnsdale Paranormal Group - 6pm
2021-10-30 18:00 - 19:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
So, is the Warden’s House *really* haunted? Come to this event to find out! Johnsdale Paranormal Group from Onamia, MN will be giving two presentations on their closest, creepiest encounters with unexplained phenomena at the Warden’s House and around the country.
Tickets available online only at WCHS Store under the Membership & Tickets tab

Grand Opening of the Washington County Heritage Center
2021-10-16 10:00 - 16:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The moment we’ve all been waiting for…the Grand Opening of the brand-new Washington County Heritage Center!
Admission is FREE for the grand opening – bring your families and friends!
Events and Performances:

“Accent,” a string duet consisting of Stillwater natives Travis Peterson (violin) and Jess Peterson (viola). Expect to hear selections from Bach to The Beatles and everything in between
“Curtis & Loretta,” a husband and wife duo performing traditional songs from America and the British Isles as well as originals. Dressed in 1800s costumes, they make history come alive with their seamless harmonies and period instruments
Paul Bunyan: Younger visitors during the grand opening will also have their own version of axe throwing, and can meet and talk with the biggest lumberjack of them all!
Axe throwing and log cutting in the front lawn provided by world champion lumberjacks Jim and Jamie Fischer
Noon-2pm: Indigenous Drumming and Dancing in the Royal Credit Union Education Center

After the grand opening the Heritage Center will be open Tuesday through Sundays 10am to 4pm. Cost for admission will be $8 for adults and $3 for kids [6-17]. Members of the Washington County Historical Society get free admissions to all the WCHS historic sites.

Jason Burford Presentation
2021-10-06 19:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
A former inmate of the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Bayport will give a presentation regarding his time working on The Prison Mirror – one of the longest continuously published prison newspapers in the country! Jason will also speak about the history of the prison and his experience inside.
